Comforting a Child (Undertaker x Ciel)
by AlecLovesAnime
Summary: This takes place after Ciel becomes a demon. Years have passed and he and Lizzy break up, living Ciel devastated. With Sebastian nowhere to be seen, the Earl runs into the arms of... The Undertaker? Yep, that's right, folks. I went there, and I'm still not sure why! Don't Like It, Don't Read It!
1. Betrayal

***Ciel's POV***

Years had passed since that fateful day. The same day that Claude had met his end. The day that Ciel had last seen Alios and Hannah. It was all on that same time that his world had changed... the day that he had become a demon. It was by shy luck that Sebastian had been stuck as his servant, even after the events had taken place. Still, the young Earl had decided to go on with his life as best he could, playing 'human' for people like Lizzy.

_Lizzy. That harlot._

At seventeen years old, Ciel had everything going for him. Immortality, a beautiful fiance, and a loyal butler to that day. At eighteen, only a week after his birthday, his life had changed.

Tears stung the young lord's eyes as he recalled the moments before now. He'd found Elizabeth in the arms of another man and, just like that, his wedding plans had been canceled. The head of the Phantomhive Estate was single and heartbroken. His butler was out doing errands when it had occurred and, with nowhere else to turn, Ciel soon found himself running down the dark streets of London.

He wasn't quite sure how he'd arrived at the Undertaker's shop, but he found himself knocking before he could second-guess it. His tears were cold from the chilly December breeze as the Undertaker opened the door, a gasp escaping the old Reaper's mouth. "Earl, what's happened?" he asked immediately.

The only answer he received was another choked sob and, just like that, Ciel was being folded into the older man's arms, warmth enveloping him from the Reaper's cloak. "Shush now," Undertaker murmured, shutting his shop's door and directing Ciel to a nearby coffin; once he had the young demon sat down on the coffin's lid, he took off his cloak and wrapped it securely around the boy. "You'll be lucky if you haven't caught a cold," he warned, "You must remember that you aren't invisible, Earl. You aren't like your butler; you weren't born this way." Sighing, Undertaker rest the edges of his fingernails against the demon-child's shoulder as he spoke, "I'll make you some tea, then you can tell me what's got you so down in the gutter." With that, he was gone, seeming to vanish from the shop's main room.

Ciel continued to quietly cry for a few minutes but, by the time the Undertaker had returned, he'd gotten a grip on his emotions. At that point, he wasn't sure if he was more hurt or more furious; the tears could have accounted for either. "Here you are," the Grim Reaper chimed, handing a beaker full of tea to the Earl.

Not questioning the other man's lack of dishes, Ciel sipped at the hot drink for several moments before he bothered to speak. His words caught in his throat as he elaborated, "Elizabeth... She cheated on me. It's over."

This is when something very odd happened. Rare as it was, a frown contorted the Undertaker's mouth as he reached out, sharp fingernails resting delicately on the young demon's shoulder once again. "She wasn't good enough for you. She didn't understand you, Ciel," the Reaper murmured, "Don't see it as a loss... see it as a second chance, the chance to be happy." He shook his head for a moment as he continued, "You're a demon now, Ciel. Being with Lady Elizabeth was only ever putting her in danger."

"Maybe I want her to be in danger," Ciel replied coldly, his own fury, his own heartbreak getting the best of him. Such strong, crushing emotions had quickly stirred the demon inside him. He hated Lizzy, hated her for taking away his last chance at feeling like his old self.

"Earl, you shouldn't think that way," the Grim Reaper told him softly, shaking his head in clear disapproval, "That's the demon in you talking, not yourself... You're angry, you're hurt. There are other ways to channel these feelings without hurting anyone."

Ciel's crimson eyes turned to the older man now as he growled, "And just what do you suggest, 'Taker?" He couldn't believe that Undertaker was arguing with him over this! It was his choice if he wanted that stupid, human girl to pay for what she'd done to him!


	2. Sleep Tight Earl

_This one's about half the size as the last chapter, but I wanted to get this part out!  
I know somebody's gonna hate on me for the ship, and **that's your opinion,** but don't be **annoying a**bout it. This was **for fun**, nothing more. Don't ruin that by annoying me. Legit reviews are appreciated, ship-hates are irritating beyond belief. _

***Undertaker's POV***

"Channel it some other way. Do something that feels good to your demon self… but don't hurt the Lady," Undertaker suggested gently, not honestly sure what it was that the young demon could do to make himself feel better. Some demons thrived on bloodshed, but he knew that wasn't the case for Ciel; many lived for indulgence, for lust, for a hundred different things so—

His lips were covered by Ciel's before he'd had a chance to pull away. The young demon had scooted closer, turned so that he was perched on the coffin, facing Undertaker, and then crushed their lips together before the old Reaper knew what had hit him. The Earl's hands moved to cup the other's face, feeling relief spark in his core as he felt the elder kissing him back. Undertaker's arms had wrapped around Ciel at some point, pulling him closer until he was sitting in his lap, legs sprawled across the coffin's surface as Undertaker cradled the young lord in his arms. The kisses softened as this went on, something that Undertaker hadn't quite expected; this wasn't lust at all, he realized…

_Comfort, then. He really is a child at heart._

Slowly, Ciel's hands moved to wrap lightly around the elder's neck, relaxing into Taker's embrace as the Reaper kissed away his pains. Soon, he pulled back and rest his head against the other man's chest, nearly asleep. Undertaker smiled softly at that, starting to lightly rock the child-demon in his arms as he whispered, "Don't fret now, Earl. I'll take care of you…"

All was silent in Undertaker's shop as the young lord slept. After an hour of simply watching the boy's restful face, Undertaker stood, carefully carrying Ciel to one of the open coffins in his shop. He laid the boy down against the velvet lining of the box and grabbed a quilt from the connecting room, lying it over him. He looked so peaceful like this and, had he not been expecting company soon, Undertaker may have laid down with the young man.

However, the grim reaper knew that it was only a matter of time before Sebastian came looking for his Master. So, taking a seat in a rocking chair not far from where Ciel slept, Undertaker busied himself with sipping at the rest of Ciel's now-cold tea, chewing on one of his biscuits in the meantime. He'd blew the main light out, but left a candle burning in the corner of the room in case the young lord awoke from his nap.


	3. Surprise, Surprise

***Sebastian's POV***

_Where had Ciel gone now? It was far past when they had been scheduled to meet back up at the manor, and here the demon was, searching for the spoiled brat. It was one thing to be a butler; it was an entirely different thing to be a baby-sitter! _

As it would, the younger demon was the last place Sebastian would have thought (and did) look: the Undertaker's shop…

He knocked on the door lightly before opening the door to a… very strange sight. The Undertaker sat in his chair with a book in his hands, sharp fingernails leaving permanent impressions in the pages as he turned them. The man wasn't wearing his usual robes and, instead, was simply in what usually lay beneath: a black button-up shirt and matching slacks; his top-hat sat on the shelf a few feet away. A small candle lit the room dimly, but the demon had no problem seeing that, just behind the Undertaker's chair, Ciel was asleep in one of the various coffins the shop-keeper kept around, tucked in like a child with—not only a quilt—but the Undertaker's cloak wrapped around him.

Any annoyance the butler had held towards the young demon melted into concerned curiosity as he scanned the small room, red eyes wide with surprise. The whole scene seemed very… cozy, as though the two were perfectly comfortable in one another's company - one asleep and the other reading the late night hours away. "Undertaker?" Sebastian's voice, much to his humiliation, cracked in his shock.

At last, though, he had got the grim reaper's attention. Looking up from his reading, Taker politely set the book aside as he brushed his white bangs back into his eyes; they'd been moved aside as he read. "Sebastian, don't be so sharp in your tone; you'll wake the boy," he scolded softly.

The demon blinked in confusion at this, "I—" Seeing the elder with a finger pressed firmly to his lips in a universal 'be quiet' gesture, he lowered his tone, "I was looking for my Master… apparently I've found him. What is he doing here, 'Taker?" None of this made any sense to the butler, who'd half a mind to challenge the reaper if he'd done anything stupid to his young lord.

"The lad came to me cryin', Butler, said that he'd caught Lady Elizabeth cheatin' on him," Undertaker explained, "Apparently they canceled the wedding. He was very upset about it, y'see, so I told him he could rest here until he felt a bit better."

Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise at the news, not quite surprised but not quite unsurprised either. "That's terrible," he sighed, "This is going to look awful for the young master's reputa—"

"The boy's heart's broken and you're worried about his reputation?" Undertaker cut him off with a glare that shone through his silver bangs. "He isn't a human anymore, Butler, what the nobles think hardly matters anymore. What matters now is that he's a demon scorned who needs time to heal," the elder was talking faster now, almost urgently, "You ought to leave the boy alone until then, Butler, because work won't help this time."

The demon frowned at the reaper's suggestion as he argued, "I'm bound by the contract, Undertaker. I have to be with him to serve and—"

His words fell short as the Undertaker lifted a hand for silence, and then spoke in a gravely clear voice, "I'll take care of the young lad, don't you worry about that." There was a pause, as though the old reaper was daring Sebastian to challenge him, and then he was smiling a wicked grin and moving on with, "Now that business is out of the way, you're more than welcome to wake him for a visit - that is, if you think it'd be alright for his health."


	4. Sebastian's Visit

_Chapter four! ^^_

_A special thanks to Euphoracle for your review! I really appreciated that! Thanks for the favorite as well! 3_

_And a thank you to CallisaDawn, Gratsu-dragon, Lavendor Queen, and Emilyguevara for their follows/favorites on this story! 3_

***Ciel's POV***

_Think it'd be alright for his health…_

Ciel had caught the fragment of a sentence as the voices in the surrounding room finally managed to wake him from his slumber. He stirred tiredly, wrapping Undertaker's cloak tighter around himself as he sat up in the coffin. His butler was standing there, looking strangely concerned, and Undertaker was returning his top-hat to his head. "'Taker?" Ciel asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes as the past events came back to him. He'd kissed the Undertaker… and he still didn't really understand why. All he knew was that, in the moment, it had made him feel better; to his surprise, the elderly reaper hadn't tried to take advantage of that weakness yet.

"Ah, you're awake, Earl," Undertaker turned to face him and his smile softened as it was directed towards the young lord, "Your butler's here to visit if you're feeling better now."

The younger demon yawned as he got up out of the velveteen coffin, brushing a bit of dust from his clothes. "I'm feeling fine now, thank you, 'Taker," his reply was more curt than he intended it to be, but it was clear to the two that this formality came with Sebastian's presence. Reluctantly, he unwrapped himself from the black cloak and left it on the edge of said-coffin, moving to stand at Undertaker's side as he looked over Sebastian with a raised eyebrow. "Did you need something, Sebastian?" _What on Earth did the older demon want?_

"You didn't return to the manor, my lord. We were.. concerned for your health," he replied, words cautious. This very caution annoyed Ciel; the butler had always been so cold with him, even when he tried to add warmth to his words.

Shaking his head, the younger said, "A lot's happened, Sebastian. I'd rather not deal with those idiots for now." He was, of course, referring to the other servants; they were incompetent at best, most times. "I—"

"You need'nt worry about that now," Undertaker interrupted the master and his servant, instantly enrapturing their attention. "The Earl's more than welcome to stay here until he's feeling more patient, Butler.

The generosity made Ciel more than a little anxious. Had the earlier events been misinterpreted? Bloody Hell, he hoped not. "Thank you, 'Taker," he repeated his previous statement, giving a nod in his direction before glancing at his butler once more, "Sebastian.. take a holiday for now, eh? I'll find you when I'm ready to.. return to things as they were." Except, he'd never be willing to return to 'normal life' at the manor. With Lizzy's betrayal, everything had flawlessly been turned upside-down. It didn't matter how much the servants and Sebastian tried to make things seem normal; they weren't ever going to be the same…

***Sebastian's POV***

The demon's hesitation was palpable throughout the room as he watched the young lord, a small frown trying to find its way to his lips. "Are you sure, my lord?" he asked, "These are trying times. You should surround yourself with—" He wasn't even sure how he'd meant to finish that sentence. With people who care? With work? With the 'human world', distracting as it tended to be? It didn't matter though, because he never got the chance to finish said-sentence.

"—I'm sure, Sebastian," Ciel snapped, eyes narrowing as their red hue darkened, nearing that purple-ish hue that demons so frequently associated with themselves. "_This is an order,_" he spoke lowly now, hands clasped together behind his back, "Allow me my peace and quiet until I tell you otherwise."

Sebastian was thoroughly taken aback by his master's order. It had become less and less frequent that Ciel used such terms, ever since his humanity had faded into the background. Now, though, it was clear that he wasn't playing around. Sighing, he consented, "Very well, my lord. I will.. check on you later, then?"

"If you wish," the younger demon allowed, nodding again. "Until then," he beckoned towards the door, the action feeling like a slap in the face to his butler.

His master didn't want him here… the younger demon that Sebastian had spent all this time treating like his own, suddenly didn't want him around. It stung but, even more so, it confused the elder demon. "As you wish," he frowned, hiding the expression with a bow as he added, "Goodnight then, my lord… and you, Undertaker."


	5. Tell Me Everything

***Undertaker's POV***

The shop fell silent as Sebastian raised from his bow, shooting Ciel one last glance before ducking out of the room, shutting the door behind himself. There was a pause before Undertaker turned in his chair to look at the child-demon; Ciel's hands had started to shake fitfully, his eyes shifting to that now-rare, azure shade in his distress. Having become a demon through.. unnatural causes, Ciel's human features still occasionally shone through the recreation.

"Are you alright, Earl?" Undertaker asked softly, moving from his rocking chair to step towards the child as he continued to speak, "I apologize. If I'd thought the butler's presence would upset you, I would have sent him away sooner." It seemed strange that Ciel was so upset now; for years, Sebastian had been the boy's shadow, always there, always prepared for whatever the young lord sent his way.

The boy shook his head at that, his voice quiet as he explained, "No, no, it's not Sebastian that's upset me. It's just that…" He stopped for a moment as Undertaker folded him into his arms, looking up at the reaper with curiosity in his eyes.

Undertaker cracked a smile as he looked down at the Earl. He hadn't exactly meant to interrupt, only to encourage the elaboration while making it a little less painful for the young demon. There was a sigh in the older man's voice as he spoke, "It's alright now. Tell me everything."

***Ciel's POV***

This embrace felt.. different from the last. He wasn't just being wrapped up into the robes the Undertaker wore and shushed into relaxation. Instead, he was being hugged against the reaper's chest, cheek resting against the silky material of his dress-shirt as those frighteningly sharp fingernails combed through his hair. This embrace felt more intimate, though not forcefully so.

_Tell me everything._

Usually, the young demon would have denied such a request. He didn't share his feelings, his personal thoughts, with anyone. There'd been brief moments of weakness around Sebastian, and surely Elizabeth had been him in distress a time or two, but never like this. Every piece of his mind screamed at him not to explain himself, that he had no reason to tell the Undertaker such personal things. But… his heart ached to speak to somebody, and the mortician had certainly offered to listen.

"It's just… They expect me to return to the manor as though nothing's changed," Ciel began thoughtfully, shaking his head at the notion, "I don't think that's possible. Things have changed and I don't—I don't know how to hide that anymore, 'Taker."

The elder's face softened as he replied, "You've learned to feel again, Ciel. It's taken some time, but you have. And that… that isn't a bad thing. It's okay to feel hurt. It's alright to be angry with the Lady. It's only _normal f_or you to feel betrayed, Earl."

_It's alright._

Since the accident with Lizzy, Ciel had been telling himself that he shouldn't care. He'd been telling himself that he wasn't supposed to be angry at the girl for not loving him; their marriage had been arranged from the very start, never their choice. It was only right for her to resent him…

But then, if it was alright for her to resent him, Ciel realized now that it was alright for him to be angry at her. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He didn't have to pretend around the mortician, didn't have to put on the plain-face of a noble. He was allowed to be the demon he'd become, allowed to feel hurt or angry or neglected. As the reaper had said, _it was normal._

"Thank you, 'Taker," Ciel whispered, his legs giving out. He fell into the reaper's arms with less grace than he would have admit, but he was caught all the same. He buried his face against the elder's chest as he was pulled closer, shutting his eyes in the same moment that they returned to their now-familiar red shade.

The young lord could feel those long fingernails brushing through his hair as he was held, one of the grim reaper's hands resting against the small of the his back. "Any time, Earl," Undertaker whispered and it felt like he'd kissed the top of his head, but that could have been the boy's imagination.

"'_Taker_," he sighed the nickname quietly„ breathing in the elder's dusty, tea-like scent. It had an edge of death to it, truly, but that no longer repulsed Ciel; he was a demon now, after all, and—reluctantly—found comfort in such things…


	6. An Easy Understanding

***Undertaker's POV***

The evening before, Ciel Phantomhive had fallen asleep in the Undertaker's arms. He'd later been carried to one of the couples coffins that sat in the shop, laid down and tucked into the same checkered guilt from before. Then the mortician had laid down at the boy's side and wrapped his cloak around them, resting his eyes for several hours…

He'd finally consented to get up from the coffin and prepare for his work that day, only to find Ciel's hand grabbing his arm in a bit of a panic. "Earl," the grim reaper murmured, gently unraveling Ciel's fingers from his arm as he spoke, "It's still the early hours of the morning, no reason for you to get up yet." There wasn't, really.

The Earl frowned sleepily at that as he mumbled, "Don't go." His eyes had already started to flutter shut again; he didn't require nearly as much sleep as a human, but that didn't mean the young demon didn't indulge in it. "Stay with me," he rasped softly, reaching up to rub at his tired eyes.

The funeral director turned so that he hovered over the boy, hesitating for a moment before his lips covered the demon's. Ciel's surprised gasp went right into the reaper's mouth before the mortician felt him starting to kiss back, mouth moving lazily in his half-asleep state.

Slowly, their kissing found its rhythm. Over the course of it, Undertaker found himself lying across the boy's body, his hand stroking the the Earl's side reassuringly. Just as his fingers had slipped underneath the edge of Ciel's shirt, the Earl gasped, a low whine exiting his throat, "'Taker, don't—"

"—Say no more, Earl," the reaper sighed against the other's mouth as his hand moved back to rest on Ciel's hip, "M'not gonna force ya into anything, lad. My apologizes." He gave the boy another kiss before gently moving off him, lying at his side yet again as he rest the edge of his fingernails against Ciel's cheek. He wasn't sure what had gotten into him, to be honest. He didn't want the kid thinking that he was taking advantage of this, didn't want to ruin how much the demon-child had grown to trust him.

***Ciel's POV***

Ciel sighed and snuggled himself against the elder, murmuring, "Thank you." There was a pause. Then, at last, he tried to explain himself, "I just… I'm confused, Undertaker. I don't want to.. I don't want you to be… I'm not—"

"You don't want this," Undertaker interrupted gently, trailing a long fingernail over Ciel's chest in reference to 'this', "To be about Lizzy. Is that what you're trying to say?"

The Earl couldn't help the slight hitch to his breath as that fingernail ran over his chest; even though his shirt, it was frighteningly sharp. Relieved that the older man understood, he nodded, "Right… I'm just confused, 'Taker."

"And you've every right to be," the reaper assured him, "Your betrothed of many years just left you, Ciel. Anyone in their right mind would be confused." He left a kiss on the boy's forehead before getting out of the large coffin, a smile touching his features, "Don't fret, Earl. I understand… Now, I should get ready for work."

Ciel was relieved beyond belief, letting out a sigh of acceptance as he was told not to fret. There hadn't been any reason to worry, after all. Everything was how it was supposed to be… Undertaker understood, and he wasn't trying to get anything out of it. It was soothing now to know that any fears he'd had about this.. relationship.. could fade into the background, unnecessary.

"Can I help?" he asked abruptly, sitting up and pushing the quilt away from himself as the funeral director put on his cloak. "I mean.. is there anything I can do?" he amended, less hurried, not wanting to interfere with the mortician's work.

Undertaker cracked a smile in the boy's direction as he replied, "Of course, Earl. I'll make us some tea, then we'll get to work. It's supposed to be a slow day, anyways…"


	7. Let The Record Show

((If you were curious, I wrote this all to Emilie Autumn songs. Specifically: "Medicate With Tea", "Gentlemen Aren't Nice", and "Let The Record Show." Enjoy!))

***Ciel's POV***

_For the next two weeks, that was how their life had been. Ciel and the Undertaker fell into an easy pattern; they woke early to drink tea and set up the shop, then Ciel would help the mortician with anything that didn't make his stomach churn. By night-fall, the clients stopped and the Closed sign fell over the wooden door; this was their time to visit, to relax together. The grim reaper told the childish demon of hundreds of stories about his days a reaper, occasionally and futilely prying for information about Ciel's life - the newborn demon rarely shared the details of his history, and that hadn't changed under the funeral director's company._

_They whispered words of sweet dreams into the dusty night's air, a smile occasionally gracing the demon's face. The Undertaker's grin slowly transformed during this time, growing less perverse and more genuine with each passing day. At night, the ex-human would fall asleep to his dark companion's stories, curled into the Undertaker's cloak. For this time, the deranged couple was in complete harmony, a peace settling over the shop…_

_Until one day when Ciel Phantomhive made a very serious mistake. The two had started to argue over their own nature - a grim reaper, even a retired one, could never understand the ways of a demonic soul. This had been made clear a long time ago by William's distaste towards Sebastian, though Grell's infatuation with the same demon had led Ciel to believe that not all of them thought of demons as filth… Right then, in the heat of their argument, he hadn't felt that way at all. It was like the Undertaker was telling him that he couldn't what he'd become; it was the polar-opposite from how they'd started out!_

_Somehow, this had all started from the reaper wanting to go to the Reaper's Library, to check out some old Cinematic Records for what he'd called 'research purposes'. When told that he couldn't accompany the elder, Ciel had accidentally snapped, leading the elder to tell him that it was 'none of a demon's business what a grim reaper was researching'. This had easily led to an argument, as one might imagine, and then turned into a full-out fight. _

None of this had been the dire mistake on the Phantomhive boy's part, however. His mistake had been three badly chosen words, put into the wrong context, said to the entirely wrong man:

"Stop keeping secrets from me, Undertaker! Tell me what your researching, _**that's an order**_—"

The funeral director had merely raised a hand, calling for silence, but the action instantly made Ciel flinch away. The reaper's eyes narrowed under his silver bangs, glowing that luminescent yellow-green shade that people rarely saw. "I'm not the butler, lad," he wasn't yelling anymore; he was actually whispering, and that was far, far worse, "I don't follow your orders. I didn't when you were a human and I certainly don't now that you're a demon."

Ciel's eyes had gone that dangerous, purple-pink shade of a demon's, lips contorted into a straight line that was sharper than his usual frown. "I didn't mean it like that, and you know it, Undertaker—"

"I'm afraid that's **exactly** what you meant, Ciel," the reaper interrupted easily, then pointed one, long fingernail towards the door of the shop, "Now get out. Go back to your butler and give your orders where they're rightfully placed."

The mortician hadn't shouted at the demon, not throughout the entire argument. His tone had sharpened some, and it had grown testy, but never had he yelled… Ciel wished now that he had, because it would have been a lot better than that tight, eerie whisper that the Undertaker's voice had dropped to. Stubborn as ever, though, he wasn't about to apologize for anything he'd said, "Fine. Have fun with those reaper friends of yours… you people sicken me; you might as well be angels!" Divine beings, grim reapers were considered much further up than that of demons (who were possibly the lowest if you didn't count humans); most demons detest the reapers, and it was a mutual understanding, but after all these years knowing each other… Such insults hadn't a place in this argument, and yet here they were.

"Out of my shop, demon," Undertaker repeated, his usually manic grin completely gone by now. Ciel glared once more, then darted towards the door, slamming it tightly shut behind him before stalking off towards his Manor.


	8. A Demon Scorned

***Ciel's POV***

Ciel had stormed out of the Undertaker's shop with little care to the world, dashing at inhumanly speeds past the crowds as he made his way towards the Phantomhive Manor. So what if that blasted grim reaper didn't understand him? He knew one person that always had, one person that was obligated to:

_Sebastian Michaelis. You cannot lie to me. You cannot leave me. You cannot abandon me. You cannot tell me I am wrong. I sealed our fate with that contract and I'll be damned if I don't carry it to the afterlife…_

If there was anyone in the world who might understand what he was feeling, the Earl felt for certain that Sebastian would. He couldn't tell him that these demonic tenancies were wrong, and he certainly wouldn't take a reaper's side over his own master's. He would believe him, he would be forced to agree if that's what it took…

Ciel burst through the door of the Phantomhive household without even thinking about it, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the place. Finny jumped and nearly broke a vase, while Mei-Rin looked around as though she was trying to decide if she should be drawing her guns. Bard just starred, smoking his cigarette… Tanaka was nowhere to be seen, as usual, and Sebastian was shaking his head at everyone. "Shoo," he told them with a glance, waiting until they've swiftly dispersed to turn his attention fully to his master. "Trouble in paradise, my lord?" he asked in a somewhat mocking tone.

Leaning against the staircase, the Earl crossed his arms over his chest and explained the cliff-notes of what had happened with the Undertaker that morning. By the time he was done, Sebastian was shaking his head, one hand to his forehead as he replied, "If I might be honest, my lord… The Undertaker's quite right about one thing; you using the word 'order' was obviously—"

"Who's side are you on, Sebastian?" the child nearly growled, eyes narrowing at the older demon. His servant didn't respond, instead meeting his eyes in a furious starring contest. When Ciel finally looked away, he was spitting venom at his butler, "You know what? Never mind, Sebastian. I don't need Elizabeth. I don't need Undertaker. And I don't need **you**!"

For the second time that morning, Ciel Phantomhive was storming out of one of the few places he'd considered 'home' over the years. First the funeral parlor, and now his own Manor, but it all left him with that asme, bitter taste in his mouth. Sebastian hadn't been on his side after all and, despite the Earl's vow to force him onto his side, he found that he was too furious to care…


	9. Anger Issues

***Undertaker's POV***

A month had passed without a word from the Phantomhive Manor. It seemed as though his fight with Ciel had been even worse than he'd first realized; a couple days of detoxing with that butler while the mortician did his research clearly hadn't been enough. No… because the boy hadn't ever returned, hadn't even gotten into contact with the Undertaker since their fight.

The strange thing was, when Ciel's presense faded, the murder rate of London practically sky-rocketed. The funeral director was so busy fitting coffins, repairing bodies for their open-casket ceremonies, and attending funerals, that he didn't even realize how much time had passed until…

"My master's been missing since he returned to the Manor," Sebastian was confiding in the reaper, the butler's arms crossed over his chest, "I thought that he was just blowing off steam but… I'm concerned, considering the recent murder-rate of the area."

The Undertaker nodded along with the demon's words as he fussed around his shop. He didn't particularly want to discuses Ciel with the other man; those were two worlds that were parallel, but needn't be connected. "I have been quite busy with bodies lately," he commented dryly, "But to answer your question, Butler, I haven't seen the lad."

_I'm sure I'd remember if he'd come back to apologize._

The harsh words were like sandpaper in the reaper's mind that, the more he tried to push them aside, the more they dug into his skull. Sighing through his sharpened teeth, he added, "Your concerned for his health, eh? No matter. He slept in that one coffin enough that it'll be perfect if his body turns up missing—"

"Stop lying to yourself, Undertaker," the demon interrupted with a small growl in his tone, narrowing his eyes as the mortician turned to face him. "We both know that you care for the boy, so stop acting like you don't," the demon had somehow become the voice of reason in this conversation.

Undertaker glared at the demon, "If the Earl hadn't tried to order me around, none of this would've happened to begin with, Butler. It's not my problem anymore." He shook his head, razor-sharp teeth clenched, "Now, get out of my shop. I've no time for this nonsense; I told you that I haven't seen the lad." He watched as the butler ducked out of his shop, apparently giving up on getting the reaper's help with finding his master…

_Yes, the mortician cared for the child, but he was still beyond furious at Ciel for what he'd said; who cared if he'd went AWOL? It seemed likely that he was just out blowing off steam somewhere…_

***Ciel's POV***

_And blowing off steam he was…_

_Ciel had stormed out of the Phantomhive Manor, thoroughly angered by the recent events. Not only had the Undertaker upset him, but Sebastian had taken the grim reaper's side! It had left Ciel beyond furious, his hands clenched into fists as he ran through the rainy night of London, mind absolutely lost to his demonic heart…_

Not just days, but weeks of murdering people later, and blood soaked the young demon's hands. His demon-form was in full-view for the world to see right then, eyes glowing, his fangs visible as darkness surrounded the area; his fingernails had sharpened into claws. Several bodies laid at his feet as the pouring rain slowly worked to wash the blood from his hands. The boy breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath as he starred down at the battered corpses. It would have been one thing for him to have merely killed these people, but he'd also taken to forcibly devouring their dying souls. The human-half of his mind would have been sickened, but his demon self felt a new kind of satisfaction that it had never before known.

Feminine laughter broke the silence of the rainy scene as the crimson reaper descended from the rooftops, landing at Ciel's side. "Well, well, it sure seems like you've been having fun… I'm going to have to put that to an end though, kid." He shook his head, sighing, "You've made such a mess, and now I have to clean up after you. How selfish… and how like a demon, really." His hand fell to rest on Ciel's shoulder, "C'mon now, kid, I know Bassy taught you better than this. What's got you out massacring people all the sudden?"

It was at that moment that Ciel lunged at the reaper, snarling as he slashed his claws at Grell's face. Grell took a step back and blocked the assault with the blade of his chainsaw, eyes widening in surprise, "Hey, bad! Calm down, kid!" He stumbled back as he tried to get Ciel to stop without hurting the boy, muttering, "Bad dog!"

"I'm not a bloody dog!" the demon growled back at him, eyes gleaming even brighter.

Grell looked at the kid with a scoff before pointing out, "Well, you certainly look like one right about now." Grabbing the demon's wrist, he snapped, "I said calm down!"

Finally, Ciel took a second to address the situation. Here he was, covered in human blood, the demon form he'd never before entered at its peek. Slowly, he calmed himself, eyes cooling as his fangs and claws were once more concealed by human features. The darkness lifted as the rain grew harder, his red eyes meeting Grell's a bit more sanely now. The reaper waited until the transformation had fully left the kid's body before he spoke, "Alright, then. Now, tell me what's got you out killing people…"

The demon ripped his wrist away from Grell now. Finally, he was calmed enough that he collapsed onto the gravel of London's alley, sighing before he started to tell Grell what had happened. He started at the beginning, with Lady Elizabeth, and then Undertaker, and then Sebastian's recent words. Through grit teeth, the child practically poured his heart out to the 'actress'.

When it was all said and done, Grell had an idea. "Well, you've left me with messes to clean up and now everyone's going to have over-time. The least you could do is kill people that are supposed to be dying anyway," he decided, "But I can hardly give you my list, so you'll just have to stop all-together. I'm sure you and Bassy will work it out. As for Elizabeth, she's a human, forget about the brat." He shrugged before continuing, "The Undertaker's ancient in the reaper world, Ciel, and he's very set in his ways. He's a man of solitude and he hardly knows when to apologize when things have gone too far; you're just as bad at that. The two of you will figure it out, just give it time." Rolling his shoulders, he lifted his chainsaw back up and nodded a goodbye, "I've got work to do, kid. Think about what I said…"


	10. Couples Counselling

((I apologize for the delay in this update, everyone! I've been pretty sick so I haven't been able to update my FanFic's, but I'm getting to all of them now! Enjoy!))

* * *

***Ciel's POV***

The crimson reaper had left the demonic child to his own devices after that. Ciel took this time to think on Grell's words, trying to pick the informed parts out of the speech. His mind, however, was far too exhausted to think on the reaper's words to any useful degree.

Ciel nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand fell to rest on his shoulder, opening his eyes to realize that it was Sebastian standing there, a small smile on the butler's face. "Grell told me where to find you," he explained calmly, "Are you ready to go home now, master? A month on the streets of London couldn't have done well for your health."

Nodding, the younger demon slowly stood from his spot in the alley, nearly collapsing; Sebastian caught him, just like he always had, scooping the boy up into his arms. The older demon sighed, "Lets get you home, then…"

* * *

***Ciel's POV***

The next morning, Ciel found himself sitting in his bedroom at the Phantomhive Manor, talking with his butler about the last thing he wanted to talk about: the Undertaker.

"I don't want to discuss this," he'd pointed that out a few times now, but Sebastian was relentless. His azure eyes narrowed in annoyance at the butler spoke again.

"My lord, all it would take is an apology and I'm sure that he would forgive you," Sebastian sighed, frowning at the younger demon, "Old habits die hard—"

Ciel cut him off, "I understand, alright?" He rubbed his temples in an attempt to ease the headache that was forming from his stress, sighing heavily, "If I tell you I'll apologize, will you leave me alone?"

* * *

***Undertaker's POV***

"I'm telling you, 'Taker, if you'd just apologize to the kid, he'd get over it and come back," Grell was arguing with the mortician, just as Sebastian and Ciel had been bickering about the whole thing. "What do you have to lose other than him and your stupid pride?"

The funeral director glared, his silver bangs swept to one side as he snapped, "I have nothing to apologize for, Grell." After all, it was Ciel that had tried to order him into doing something. What did that stupid, selfish demon think he'd been doing? There was no reason for the Undertaker to not be upset—

"You sure as Hell do," Grell's argument broke the other reaper's train of thought, "You told him that what you were doing wasn't any of his business. You threw just as many bullets as he did, 'Taker." The crimson reaper shook his head in annoyance, "Don't you get it? You two are walking in circles here and unless you apologize, I'm highly doing the kid's gonna."

Undertaker sighed heavily, shielding himself in his cloak and his eyes behind his hair again, keeping the other reaper from reading his thoughts, "There's no telling that he'll even come back, Grell—"

"—Exactly!" Sutcliff snapped, his eyes narrowing once again, "Do you have any idea how much that brat cares about you? And you can't tell me you don't care about him - you wouldn't take in a miserable demon without a good damned reason. So just…" The reaper gestured vaguely with his hands, searching for the words, "Just apologize already!"

The mortician let out a sigh, pursing his lips as he gave in, "If this blows up in my face, I'm going to feed your heart to Cerberus, Grell Sutcliff."


	11. Tongue-Tied Apology

((I actually wrote this to Carrie Underwood's "Unapologize." It really set the mood... Maybe try listening to it (if you like country) while you read this? I dunno *shrugs*))

* * *

***Grell and Sebastian's POV***

After Sebastian and Grell had done their part in nudging the deranged couple in the right direction, the two left it up to Ciel and Undertaker to make the right decision. Though, that didn't mean they weren't going to get a laugh out of it in the process. Grell was perched on the ledge of a rooftop across from the Undertaker's shop, hidden against the red bricks of the building. Sebastian was off to the other side, within ear-shot, hidden by the leaves of an overgrown tree.

Grell sighed dramatically as he looked at his pocket-watch and asked, "Didn't you say the kid was going to be here soon?"

"He said he would," Sebastian shot back, "But didn't you say that the Undertaker would be leaving to find Ciel by now? He's still in his shop, for Hell's sake."

The crimson reaper shook his head, shooting an emerald glare in the demon's direction, "it's hardly my fault that they're so stubborn. We'll just have to wait; we've done our part already." He paused for a moment as he glanced back towards the door of the shop, then turned his attention back to the butler, "I mean really—"

Abruptly, Sebastian hushed Grell, pointing towards the mortician's home, "Ssshh! Look!" Grell turned his attention to down below once again, blinking in surprise as he saw how things had turned out: the Phantomhive kid had just been about to knock on the door of the funeral parlor when the Undertaker had opened it to leave.

"'Taker, I'm so—" **/** "Look, lad, I didn't—"

"—You go first." **/** "—Go ahead."

"For Hell's sake, 'Taker!" **/** "Oh for Heaven's sake!"

By this point, both Sebastian and Grell had absolutely burst into laughter from their hiding places. "This was a brilliant idea, Grell," the demon choked out the words as he covered his mouth, trying to keep his laughing quiet so that nobody would notice them.

The reaper giggled fitfully, "Me? You're the one that suggest we send them off at the same time." He practically snorted in amusement, rolling over against the roof after setting his chainsaw down.

Sometime during all of this, William had landed on-top the roof, and now was looking at Grell as though he'd lost his mind. "You're supposed to be working," he hissed in annoyance, but stopped when both Grell and Sebastian laughed and pointed back at the Undertaker's home. Blinking in surprise, he adjusted his glasses with the edge of his scythe and asked, "Is that… the Undertaker and that halfbred of yours?"

"His name is—"

"—Just call him 'the kid', it's easier," Grell argued nonchalantly before putting a finger to his lips, "Now shut up and listen you two!"

* * *

***Ciel's POV***

After his conversation with Sebastian, the young demon had taken some time to think about what had happened. In the end, he realized something, and that something was this: It didn't matter what had been said before he'd spoken out of turn; the fact of the matter was that he had, and that the mortician deserved an apology for that. The relationship between demons and grim reapers was so fragile, so estranged, that these arguments were bound to happen.

The important part was that they remembered that it hadn't always been like this; as a human, Ciel had known the Undertaker as a simple funeral director for quite some time. It hadn't been until later that he'd discovered the truth about the Undertaker. It had been even longer before Ciel's own nature had changed to work against their friendship. So… what were they doing, arguing over something so trivial? It was ridiculous, and Ciel had decided that, with those things in mind, he needed to seek out the Undertaker in order to apologize.

Ciel had just gotten to the funeral parlor and lifted his hand to knock—before he'd gotten the chance, the door opened to reveal the mortician, who seemed just as shocked to see the demon standing there. Before he could think, the child's words rolled from his tongue, "'Taker I'm so—"

_Sorry?_

***Undertaker's POV***

After thinking about what Grell had told him, the ancient reaper had soon decided that he was right. He had been just as thoughtless, just as harsh, as the demon had been. They'd both been out of turn in their accusations, and neither should have said what they did. The only problem now was that neither would let it go. Having decided to apologize, he'd pushed open the door to leave for the Phantomhive Manor—

There Ciel was, looking as though he'd seen a ghost all of the sudden. Too late, they'd already spoken at the same time, both in too big of a hurry to apologize, "Look, lad, I didn't—"

_I didn't mean what I said before._

The thought was finished only in his mind, both males having stopped when they realized that the other was speaking. Again, he tried to smooth things out, only to stumble over each other's words for a second time. Exasperated, he muttered, "Oh for Heaven's sake!"

"—For Hell's sake, 'Taker!" the words had left Ciel's mouth at the same moment that the Undertaker's own had. For a moment, they were both silent, starring at each other in their shock and completely oblivious to the amusement they'd caused their nearby, though hidden, friends.

Finally, the funeral director took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, lad. I had no place keeping secrets from you, and I shouldn't have been so stubborn about it." There was silence again, for several breathes, and then Ciel's reply came.

"I came here to apologize myself," the child admit, tilting his head to the side slightly as his red eyes flashed back to that old blue shade, "I had no place ordering you to do anything, and it wasn't right of me to drop off the face of the Earth over it. So… I'm sorry, too, for what happened." He paused, then looked up at the elder and asked, "Forgive me, 'Taker?"

The mortician let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, then wrapped his arms around Ciel as he murmured, "Just as long as you've forgiven me, lad." Feeling the boy nod against his chest, Undertaker cracked a smile and suggested, "Let's get inside then, it's cold out."

* * *

((I hope you guys liked it! Yay, they made up! Lots of fluff to come! ^-^))


	12. Everyone Has Their Secrets

((Wow, this chapter turned out long! Not as fluffy as I'd thought it be, but that's only 'cause I had an idea! xD I hope this chapter makes sense to everyone - I know it's a little mysterious but questions will be answered in the future. Until then... as the chapter says: Everyone Has Their Secrets.))

* * *

***Ciel's POV***

The Earl had been ushered into the Undertaker's shop only a moment after their apologizes, and now found himself perched on a coffin's lid as the mortician boiled a pot of water for their tea. "You've cleaned up the place," he noted, glancing around at the funeral parlor. There were still coffins scattered about as seats, but the shelves of organs had been replaced by closed-cabinets; the layer of dust had been swept away, too, and all the cobwebs had been recently taken town. It almost looked like an actual home now, once you got past the coffins and the vague scent of formaldehyde in the room.

"Yeah, well, Winter's on the way," the reaper commented dismissively, "Thought I best tidy up while I had the chance."

Curiously, Ciel asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Undertaker turned on his heel to face the boy, shrugging his shoulders, "I don't work much in the Winter 'cause a lot of bodies aren't found 'til the snow n' ice melts." A small, choked cackle left his lips at that, but he was quick to move on. Offering the demon a vial of the tea he'd brewed, the reaper added, "Besides, it was getting cluttered in here."

"I see…" The young master wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to say in response, so he grabbed the tea and took a drink to cover up his lack of words. Watching for a moment as the elder scurried around the room, doing various and unimportant things, he finally spoke again, "For Hell's sake, 'Taker, sit down. Could you be any more antsy?"

A weak, surprisingly fake-sounding laugh left the mortician as he muttered, "My apologizes, lad, just got a lot on my brain this afternoon." Before Ciel had a chance to speak, he added, "Are you cold?"

It was only then that the demon realized he'd been shivering, holding the tea close to his face as he'd spoke. Laughing softly with embarrassment, he admit, "A little." It hadn't been a quick walk to the Undertaker's shop, after all, and he'd only been back inside for a couple of minutes now.

"Here," the funeral director's voice broke Ciel away from his thoughts; he'd taken off his cloak and now was wrapping it around the Earl's shoulders, "Wouldn't want ya to catch a cold on my watch. Your butler'd never let me live it down."

Smiling a little at the mortician's words, he nodded, "Thank you." Curling up a bit on the coffin, he kept the cloak wrapped tightly around himself as he sipped at his tea. Finally, the Undertaker had sat down at his side; resting his head on the elder's shoulder, Ciel asked, "Why do you hide behind this all the time? You do the same with your hair, never letting anyone see your face… Why, 'Taker?"

"I didn't always," Undertaker's voice was thoughtful when he responded, "There was a time in my life that I hadn't a reason to hide. Y'see, nobody bothered me back then; I imagine they were afraid to… Nevertheless, that all changed a couple centuries ago." He cut the story off there and offered no other information.

Frowning, the younger looked up at him and asked, "What changed? I mean, surely something had to have happened—"

"Some things, lad, are best left where they are: in the past," Undertaker cut him off before he could pry any further, then abruptly stood from his perch at Ciel's side, "I've a few bodies to tend to before the daylight runs out, lad. Make yourself at home; I'll be in the back." Like that, he was gone, and Ciel was left to stare at the space where the ancient reaper had once stood, wondering just what had changed in the centuries before now…

* * *

***Back To The Others***

Grell huffed in irritation as the door to the Undertaker's shop fell shut behind the strange couple, crossing his arms over his chest. "Damn them," he mumbled, "It was just starting to get interesting."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the reaper's none-too-subtle annoyance as he pointed out, "It is rather cold out, you realize. You should have assumed they'd go inside to—"

"—To what? Curl up by the fire together?" Grell snapped, then let out a sarcastic laugh, "That reaper down there doesn't do romance, Bassy, so I haven't the foggiest idea why he's playing with the kid's heart."

Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, the butler asked, "And just how would you know, Grell? I'm doubting he's wasted his time trying to impress you of all people—"

"—Funny, Sebastian," the crimson reaper mumbled, holding up a hand for silence. After a moment, he elaborated, "No, he certainly hasn't wasted his time—as you so harshly put it—on me, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen him in relationships before now. It's not his thing; it doesn't work out."

Confused, the demon found himself asking, "I thought you were all for this. If you weren't, you wouldn't have helped them make up."

Grell dramatically sighed as he flopped down on the roof, his hands clasped underneath his head as he replied, "I want him to be happy, that's all. Somehow, the kid makes him happy. I just.. don't understand why yet, that's all."

Shrugging, Sebastian muttered, "I don't understand it either, but it's not our business… I'll leave you two to your work, then." He gave a nod towards Grell and the ever-silent William Spears before leaping off the rooftop, heading back to the Phantomhive Manor…

"He's right, you know," William told the other reaper tiredly as he leaned against the tree that had overgrown the building, "About it not being our business, I mean."

The crimson reaper shook his head in disagreement as he pointed out, "You of all people, Will, have to be bothered by this. How do you stay so calm when I know it's actually bothering you?"

To that, the strict reaper only shrugged, turning on his heel as the vague reply fell from his lips, "'Taker can do what he wants, Grell. As to the boy… I couldn't care less; it's a game that will eventually grow boring, just like all the others." With that, he was gone, leaving Grell alone on the roof now.

_I know you care, William T. Spears, so why do you hide it? I've known you since we were students at the Academy… but you still won't tell me the truth. _

Sighing, Grell did the only thing he could: he picked up his scythe and jumped from his perch, disappearing into the setting sun just like everyone else before him…

* * *

***Ciel's POV* **

The Phantomhive Earl spent quite some time starring out the window of the Undertaker's shop. Eventually, the sun had went down and the day had melted into night, leaving the streets of London quiet. Bored with the lack of people to watch, he went to the small book-shelf that sat near the Undertaker's rocking chair and scanned over the titles. Some were no doubt Cinematic Records, but he ignored those. The following contained a few textbooks, some poetry, but nothing of real interest appeared until the demon glanced at the top shelf. There was only one book and it was laid discreetly across the top of the shelf, out of sight and out of mind; picking it up, Ciel noted that it was made of soft leather and appeared to be a journal of some sort. He almost put it back, but then decided to skim some of the pages out of curiosity; it was only when he started to read it that he realized it was the Undertaker's journal…

The center page he first turned to was dated the same as their argument. A quick scan of the page revealed that the Undertaker had, in fact, written about it later that evening. It was only then that it occurred to Ciel that, depending on how old the journal was, he might get some answers from it. Flipping back page by page, he glanced at the dates of each entry as he tried to find what he was looking for. Sometimes the Undertaker went through spurts where he wrote daily, but then it would be a year or two cap between the next entry; it wasn't an easy journal to find things in, to say the least—

He'd been so enraptured in his search that he hadn't heard the Undertaker returning to main room. Suddenly, the journal was snatched from his hands and snapped shut, the mortician's voice crisp from behind him, "It isn't nice to go through people's personal belongings, lad." He set it back on the shelf, then walked around the chair to face the boy, his arms crossed over his chest, "Think before you act, love. There are some things you'd rather not read in that."

But with that, the subject moved on as though the first had never happened, "It's getting late; you should consider getting some sleep before day-break, Earl."

Still completely baffled by the Undertaker's sudden appearance, Ciel could only nod as he choked out the words, "Yeah, you're probably right…" With that, he stood from the mortician's chair and offered him the cloak back only to have it pressed back into his hands.

"Keep it," the funeral director sounded tired now as he spoke, "It'll keep ya warm." With that, he collapsed into the rocking chair and picked up a book; Ciel noticed it vaguely as one of the poetry collections he'd ignored earlier.

Nervously, the child found himself asking, "Aren't you going to lay down?" He shuffled his feet anxiously, moving slowly towards the large coffin he'd slept in before with the mortician at his side.

A yawn slipped past the Undertaker's lips before he murmured, "Maybe in a while, lad. Blow the candle out and get some rest for now." With those words spoken, the only thing Ciel could do was obey. He quietly crossed the room, blowing out the white candle that always burned on its own shelf, and then carefully made his way to the coffin to lay down for the night…


	13. Tea, Chores, and Cute Things

**{** I'm not really sure where I want to go with this story, you guys. If you've got any suggestions (plot-twists, random scene ideas, a chapter that explains how a bunch of the side characters feel about this 'relationship', anything really...) then please leave your thoughts in the reviews or PM me about it! I could really use your help and I'd really appreciate it, as always! That said, enjoy this chapter~** }**

* * *

***Ciel's POV* **

When the young demon woke up next, the rays of light were just barely shining through the shutters that covered the shop's window. The first thing he noticed was the lack of the mortician's presence at his side. Rubbing his tired eyes , he stretched and pushed the black cloak away from him. Peeking over at the rocking chair, he couldn't repress the small smile that formed; Undertaker had fallen asleep with the poetry book in his hands and was now slouched in the chair, his top-hat tilted down to block the vague glints of sunlight from his eyes. It was actually sort of…. _cute_.

Ciel had to cover his mouth with one of his hands as he got out of the coffin, attempting to quiet his amusement at his own choice of words.

_**Cute**__. Lizzy would be so proud._

_**Lizzy**__._

Flinching at the memories that this thought had caused, Ciel sighed under his breath. If it hadn't been for the Undertaker's sleeping form so near to where he stood, the young demon would likely have screamed at himself for thinking about his ex-fiance. Silently convincing himself that the thought was unimportant, that there was no reason to be angered by the habitual thought of Elizabeth, Ciel moved over to where the Undertaker sat in his chair.

Again, a small smile formed on the child's lips as he grabbed the book from the mortician's lap and set it on the nearby coffee table. Then he unfolded the elder's cloak from himself and laid it over the sleeping funeral director. From the looks of it, the reaper had been up fairly late the night before. "Sweet dreams, 'Taker," he murmured, then looked to the clock; it was usually around this time that the Undertaker's shop opened.

Deciding to set up the place by the funeral director got some rest, Ciel went into the back room and surveyed the room. Luckily, any corpses that had been delivered were already taken care of, though it looked like the Undertaker had neglected to clean the room up when he was finished. Grabbing a cloth and the bucket of water, Ciel went to work at scrubbing down the tables and then sweeping the floors so that the work-space wouldn't be cluttered with dust. Nothing looked worse than a dead person with a fresh tea stain on their clothes…

Once that was taken care of, the Earl made his way to the front of the shop again, walking quietly as to not disturb the sleeping mortician. He went outside for a moment to flip the Closed sign to Open, then ducked back into the Undertaker's home and put water on for a pot of tea. It would have likely looked strange, had anyone he'd known in the past seen Ciel that morning; usually, Sebastian handled all these tedious little chores, but the fact of the matter was that the Earl was capable of doing it himself - so he did, for the moment.

With the tea brewed, he left it on the fireplace to stay warm while he took care of the other early morning chores that required leaving the shop. This included checking the mail, picking up a few groceries (there was a list that Ciel had grabbed from the table), and sending out the small cards that the Undertaker wrote up for the the loved ones' of the dead.

* * *

***Undertaker's POV***

When the mortician awoke, he stretched and adjusted the hat so that he could see, looking around the room. Ciel was absent and his cloak had been tucked lightly around him, his book moved to the table. Smiling at what was no doubt the boy's help, he got up and searched the small shop; when he didn't find Ciel, he went to the table and found the note that the Earl had left:

_**'Taker,**_

_**The tea should be warm still, so help yourself. I'll take care of the shopping and send out the mail while I'm out. See you soon.**_

_**-Ciel Phantomhive**_

His faint smile turned into a grin as he read the brief explanation that the Phantomhive boy had left. Pouring himself a vial of tea, he sat atop one of the coffin-seats that his home included. Maybe a half hour passed before the door opened to reveal Ciel; a couple bags were slung over his arm as he shut the door behind himself. "Morning, 'Taker," he greeted, "I picked up the things that were on your list." He went to the back for a moment to set the bags down, then returned to sit at Undertaker's side.

"Well, good morning, lad," the mortician flashed a grin at the other male, "Thank you. You really didn't have to go through all that trouble; you could've just woken me up." He was actually very surprised that the Phantomhive boy had went through all that trouble for him.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ciel simply said, "I know, but I wanted to do something nice for you. You've already put yourself through so much trouble for me."

Somewhat baffled, the Undertaker moved on the subject by offering the vial, "Tea?" Flashing a smile when the child accepted it, he wrapped an arm around his company's shoulder and left a noisy kiss on his cheek. The light blush on the other's face had the funeral director cackling with laughter within seconds; it was absolutely adorable.

***Ciel's POV***

From the moment the Undertaker's arm had wrapped around his shoulders, Ciel had relaxed. However, the jokingly loud kiss against his cheek left his usually cool skin hot with blush as he tried to repress his embarrassment. "'Taker," he grumbled, much like a pouting child would have, before taking a drink of the tea as he rolled his red eyes at his companion.

The tea had a strange taste to it that he wasn't entirely accustomed to, but it was.. quite pleasant, too. It reminded the Earl vaguely of copper and stirred parts of his demonic heart that he didn't quite understand. Curious, he asked, "Have you made more tea since I've been gone?"

"Ah, yes, it's a black tea with a touch of sugar," he replied absently, waving his hand dismissively at the topic. Then something seemed to register in his mind and he started to laugh hysterically, confusing the young Earl.

"What… what's so funny?" Ciel demanded after a few minutes of the crazed laughing had passed, his eyes wide with curiosity. The Undertaker held up a hand for silence as he caught his breath, then leaned in close, whispering the secret additive—which most certainly was not sugar, though that was in fact in the tea—into the young Earl's ear.

_"You, 'Taker, are a sick son of a…"_

* * *

**{** It's blood, if anyone missed that. Don't judge me, Undertaker's morbid as all bloody Hell and we all know it. *cough* bone biscuits *cough* **}**


	14. HELP THE AUTHOR!

**{** Alright you guys, I've been trying to update this story for weeks. I told you guys in the last chapter that I didn't know where to go with it, and I still don't, so I could use some help. If anyone has ideas, that'd be great, just PM me or leave a review about it!

I don't usually post these as a "chapter" (I don't think you're supposed to) but I don't know how else to ask you guys. So please, help me out you guys!

For now, though, enjoy some character-banter...** }**

* * *

**Ciel:** This is absolutely ridiculous! You start the most random story I've ever been forced to be a part of, and then you wonder why you can't come up with something to do with it! Nothing about this has even made sense!

**Undertaker:** I'm not sure it was supposed to make sure, lad.

**Ciel:** Nobody asked you, 'Taker.

**Undertaker:** Oh stop it. You're just grumpy because you're bored.

**Ciel:** *Angry grumbling*

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**{** Alright, you two, that's enough xD **}**


	15. Insomniac's Cravings

**{** At last, there's a new chapter! **}**

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Ciel couldn't sleep.

For as many nights that the lazy demon had spent unnecessarily resting, there should have been no reason for that night to be any different. Still, he found himself laying in the comfortable, velvet-lined coffin, starring up at the dark ceiling of the Undertaker's shop with his arms crossed over his chest. Red eyes swam with discontent as he laid there, his lips contorted halfway between frowning and pouting.

All he wanted to do was shut his eyes and go to sleep until day-break, but he couldn't. He was restless, something that had quickly turned into annoyance. The worst part was that he knew exactly why he couldn't sleep—

His stomach growled to remind him and the demonic child clenched his teeth in irritation. Of all the times to be hungry, why did it have to be when he was trying to sleep? The last thing he wanted to do was wake the mortician by leaving, but this was getting ridiculous.

The substances that humans called food had long-since stopped being a necessity, of course, but that didn't mean the demon could live on nothing. He had to feed, just like any other demon, but the fact of that matter was that their species could go years without doing so. Having fed just recently, during the time he'd been away from the Undertaker, there was no reason in the world for Ciel to feel this insatiable hunger…

Well, there was **one **reason.

* * *

_He'd called the Undertaker sick, albeit in a playful manor, but that hadn't stopped him from drinking the rest of the tea. The blood in it was surprisingly pleasant, but he hadn't realized just how **nice** it was until he'd finished the tea and set the vial to the side. He noticed his fangs had formed in the same moment that the Undertaker had casually pulled him in for a kiss, cloak wrapping around the both of them._

_Maybe he should have pulled away, but he hadn't wanted to, and he hadn't honestly thought the kiss would last very long. Still, as far as kisses went, it slowly deepened, the passion flickering around them like electricity. Soon, Ciel found himself with his arms around the mortician's neck, pressed tightly to the elder as their tongues intertwined._

_He could feel the other smirking against their kiss and Ciel knew, as strongly as he'd ever known anything in his life, that the Undertaker had noticed his fangs. Instead of taking the time to blush, he slowly pulled back, resting his head on the funeral director's chest so that he didn't have to look at him._

_The Undertaker hadn't said a word about it, so neither had Ciel. He expected that it would fade into the background, like a bad dream, never to bother him again… Clearly, he'd been wrong, because as they laid down that night to go to sleep, that was all the demon could think about._

* * *

That unfamiliarly **marvelous** taste of copper returned to the back of his throat at the thought. Gritting his teeth quietly, he shot a glance at the sleeping mortician before muttering to himself, "Damn him. Morbid bastard… This is the last thing I needed and now it's keeping me awake."

His stomach churned, the craving sensation becoming familiar far too quickly. The room lit just slightly as his eyes gleamed with desire. Sighing, he glanced down at his hands to see that his fingernails were sharpening into claws; he could feel his fangs against his tongue yet again.

Thoroughly frustrated, Ciel got out of the coffin, grumbling to himself as he made his way to the door. He threw his coat on, then grabbed his cane before slipping out the door, taking the spare key with him so that the door could stay locked while the Undertaker slept. He'd decided that he'd go out and find some helpless soul to sate this strange craving - hopefully…

* * *

Two devoured souls later, Ciel Phantomhive was beyond frustrated. His usual, demonic diet was doing absolutely nothing to sate the craving he'd developed. Then again, why would it have? It wasn't the same thing, not even close, but he'd still hoped…

What did it matter? It hadn't worked and now he was out in the cold for no damned reason. Not that he really noticed the winter chill, but he was still annoyed by it somehow. Everything was irritating at that point.

Pacing listlessly in the street, he was surprised when a voice interrupted his silent fuming to say, "Young master? What are you doing out here?" He turned his head to watch as Sebastian leaped off a nearby roof to land at his side, hand to his heart in that mock-butler way as he added, "Trouble again already?"

"No," Ciel grumbled, returning to his pacing as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black coat, "Just hungry." It was a vague way to put it, so he hoped that Sebastian would assume something and then go about his business. As it were, the butler wasn't born yesterday.

"And pacing in an alley solves that problem, how?" Sebastian asked with a frown, leaning against the brick wall as he watched the younger demon pace. Alright, so the elder had a point there, but damn him, why did he have to be right?

Mumbling, Ciel replied, "It doesn't." He paused for a moment, walking a bit quicker now as he added, "I needed to think. I couldn't think in there."

"Again I ask, trouble already?"

Sighing heavily, Ciel flopped onto the snowy ground of the alley and spat his reply, "No, there isn't trouble. I'm just—off kilter right now, that's all." He paused, shook his head, then added, "Forget about it, Sebastian. It doesn't matter."

"Obviously **it does** or you wouldn't be out here," Sebastian pointed out with a sigh, "Of all things, young master, why won't you talk to me about this?" For a moment, the alley was silent, and then the ultimatum came, "You've said enough already that I can figure it out on my own, one way or another. Save us both some time and just tell me."

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**{** Reviews are appreciated as always! I'll try to update again soon!

Oh, and a special thank-you to Deumos for all your help with the ideas for this chapter! More of your ideas'll be used in the following chapters, I'm sure! ^^

I'd also like to thank Teal The Banned for your ideas! The angsty-fluff will come soon, I assure you! **}**


	16. Ciel Hates Clocks

A day of simplicity and affection had so easily turned into something that had Ciel deeply bothered. As it were, he'd given in, telling his butler the 'cliff notes' version of his day with the Undertaker. When he'd finished, he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes, "What are you smiling at, _butler_? None of this is funny."

"It's not funny," Sebastian admit with a soft chuckle, shaking his head, "But it's not something to be so upset about, either, my lord." The boy tilted his head to the side and his elder sighed, elaborating, "Much like humans crave cigarettes and opiates, some demons grow addicted to blood and…various other things."

The younger demon didn't like how vaguely his butler had explained that last part, but he nodded nonetheless and began, "So—"

"—So," Sebastian cut him off politely, holding up a hand for silence before continuing, "It's nothing to fret about." Before he could say anything else to reassure Ciel, he was being cut off in kind.

"But I can't sleep," the Earl grumbled, laying back in the snow-covered alley and starring up at the stars that lit the sky above them.

He was pretty sure he heard his butler laughing at him, but he chose to ignore that… for now. "The craving will pass on its own, and now you'll know to avoid it next time," Sebastian told him lightly, starting to walk away even as he spoke to his young master, "Until then, ignore it."

* * *

As it were, ignoring it wasn't nearly as easy as thinking about it. Which would account for why, that following morning, Ciel found himself lying outside the door of the Undertaker's shop, glaring at the frosty pebbles that sat alongside the road.

"Ciel?" The Undertaker's voice broke the Earl's train of thought. Turning and standing from where he sat next to the funeral parlor, he flashed a slight smile at the other man as he was asked, "What are you doing out there?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the demon decided not to mention it and merely said, "I just had some thinking to do, 'Taker." Following the mortician back into his home, he shut the door behind them before returning to his usual place on the lid of their coffin. This, he realized, was going to be a long day.

* * *

It had been exactly_ two hours and twenty eight minutes_ since Ciel had sat down in the funeral parlor. He knew this only because, ever since he'd been in the same room as the Undertaker, time had been going painfully slow. His eyes flickered to the clock again: _two hours and twenty nine minutes_. Bloody Hell, this was going to be a long day.

The funny thing was that Ciel had already decided what he was going to do about this new-found craving. Sebastian had said that it wasn't that uncommon, that with a a little patience it would go away, but… what was the harm in doing it just one more time? Statistically, that was a horrible idea, but Ciel wasn't letting his rational-side get the best of him this time. Just once couldn't hurt. He even knew how to do it without having to talk about it (and thus embarrass himself more). All he had to do was wait until the next time they were close to each other…

The trouble was that, any time the mortician was near him, Ciel lost his nerve. So he'd decided to wait until the Undertaker kissed him or something like that. Then all he'd have to do is make his move.

His plan, admittedly, was flawed, but it wasn't horrible. Plenty of people kissed each other on the neck, even left blatant bite-marks and bruises… How hard would it be to 'accidentally' draw blood, really? He just had to do it, and then it would all work itself out. After his curiosity was sated, he'd avoid it and make sure it didn't become a habit. That'd be easy enough, wouldn't it? This persistent craving was just his curiosity getting the best of him, that was all… Hopefully.

"Not that I mind, lad," Undertaker's voice pulled Ciel form his thoughts abruptly, "But why are you starring at me?" The mortician had been moving around the shop, doing this and that, probably chattering away about something that Ciel had stopped listening to due to his preoccupied state of mind… And now he was standing in the center of the room, looking at the Earl.

Shaking his head, the demon told him, "Oh, it's nothing, 'Taker. Just starring off into space 's all." He hoped, fleetingly, that the funeral director wouldn't notice the blush that he knew had appeared.

_This was ridiculous! He needed to get a grip or this was never going to bloody work. Bloody…. God, what an awful thought. Good-awful. No, no, bad. Damn it—-_

"Ciel," Undertaker's voice snapped the boy out of his trance yet again, "Are you alright, lad? You seem like something's troubling you."

The Earl forced himself to shake his head again, internally thanking Sebastian for his years of practice as he forced a smile to his lips. "I'm fine, 'Taker, just day-dreaming." _Oh, what an awful choice of words. What if he asks—_

"What about?—"

_Yeah, that. What if he asks that. Damn it!_

"—If ya don't mind me asking, that is."

_I do mind, actually. I mind a lot. But I can't say that!_

Ciel was an absolute dolt in those moments, trying to pull together some random lie to tell the mortician. It occurred to him, vaguely, that he shouldn't be lying to the reaper at all, but what else could he do? He'd craftily decided a mostly-innocent way to do this and telling the Undertaker what was on his mind would ruin that. The rational side of Ciel said that he didn't need to make this plan to begin with, because the funeral director had instigated it to begin with. The panicked—and most certainly dominant—side of him, on the other hand, thought that his rational half was being stupid.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine," the retired reaper's voice reminded Ciel, a little too late, that his companion had been waiting to an answer. The younger male opened his mouth to explain, then shut it again, then faltered, then gave up and watched as the Undertaker went back to whatever he'd been doing before the demon had made himself look like an idiot.

_Two hours and thirty six minutes…_

Ciel Phantomhive was beginning to hate that clock.


End file.
